Connect with us

Articles

My Joy, Your Sorrow

Published

on

Ding! came the familiar sound of my email inbox. I clicked on my latest message and saw a picture of a friend snuggling her newborn. She and her family thanked God for answering their prayers for a natural, pain medication-free labor and delivery.

As quickly as I opened the note, I closed it.

The happiness I felt for my friend mingled with my own sadness. Her news reminded me of my own daughter’s birth — a labor and delivery I wish had mirrored my friend’s experience. I felt the painful stab of an unfulfilled hope.

But I’ve also been in my friend’s shoes. Just as her email was difficult for me to read, there have been times when my joy has brought grief to someone else.

Perhaps you’ve been there too.

In Romans 12:15, Paul instructs us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice [and] mourn with those who mourn.” So, how can we live out this biblical mandate? How can we rejoice and be sensitive to the hurts of others? How can we deal with the pain we feel when someone else experiences that for which we hoped?

As I’ve sought God on how to achieve this delicate balance, I’ve found the following things helpful.

When You Rejoice

Examine your motives. Ask yourself a simple question: Are you sharing to bring glory to God and encourage others or is pride influencing your decision? Do you secretly desire for others to praise you rather than have their focus turned to God? Is there a sense of competition you feel with anyone who will hear your news? If pride is a factor, take time to repent and re-evaluate before you share.

Broadcast information carefully. While it’s easy to update your Facebook status or send an email to everyone in your address book announcing your promotion, sharing your latest vacation pictures, or the recounting the details of your baby’s birth, take the time to exercise caution before you hit “send.” Consider sharing general information with the broader community and saving details for those closest to you. And, if you know someone on your contact list may find your news difficult, send them a personal email first.

Be responsible, but not extreme. Yes, strive to exhibit sensitivity, but remember that you can’t control how others feel. Don’t hold yourself responsible for every painful emotion others may experience upon hearing your news. And, if you do unintentionally hurt someone else, extend grace toward yourself.

When You Mourn

Extend grace. Others will hurt you — most often unintentionally. Work to extend grace towards them. Believe the best about people and their motives, rather than assume statements and stories are insensitive or meant to hurt you. Many times others are unaware of the power their words and actions carry.

Allow grief. It’s OK to experience sadness and pain. This doesn’t mean you direct it at another individual, but rather recognize despite people’s best efforts, you may still feel hurt because of the brokenness of our world. Don’t be quick to push aside real emotions because you believe they’re ungodly. Just as we grieve over our longings, Christ also grieves over our brokenness and pain.

Evaluate your responses. Ask yourself if you’re being overly sensitive and too focused on your own pain that you don’t allow yourself to celebrate with others. If this is true, ask God to transform your heart to be one that can rejoice with others without consistently shifting your focus to your own sorrows. If you are still having difficulty, ask a trusted friend or mentor to pray for you also.

And ultimately, whether we rejoice or mourn, we should remember we serve a sovereign God who is in the midst of every situation. Knowing this means knowing we can always trust God’s goodness in our life and the lives of others.

Through prayer and wisdom, we can learn to better live out Paul’s words in Romans. We can rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn in a way that encourages those around us and honors God — even when it comes to reading our latest emails.

Spread the love

Patrice Gopo lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and her daughter. She enjoys glimpsing God’s divine hand in the everyday moments of life. She is passionate about writing, community, justice, and poverty alleviation. Each year that passes she is amazed to see how God connects these passions in ways she could never ask for or imagine.

Welcome to Ungrind!

Do you want to be inspired, motivated, and equipped to live the everyday story of your life well?

If so, you’re in the right place. Whether you need encouragement in your relationships or in your faith, I hope you’ll find the transparent voices of mentors and friends here at Ungrind.

So, grab a cup of coffee and keep reading. We're so glad you're here!

Ashleigh Slater, Founder & Managing Editor

Get Our Free Ebook!

Sign up to receive weekly emails from Ungrind and you’ll get the free ebook, Better Together. Be encouraged by stories of hope from women just like you!

Latest Articles

What Women Are Saying

"Ungrind is for any woman who has ever felt alone. Alone in her stand for truth. Alone in her insecurities. Alone in living out her potential. It is about community and finding worth first in God and second in the specific purposes He has for women. Reading Ungrind is like sitting down to a cup of coffee with your girlfriends and discovering you're not the only one."

-- Suzanne Hadley Gosselin, author of Expectant Parents: Preparing Together for the Journey of Parenthood

Featured Resource

"Real life is not always pleasant. Every marriage experiences disappointments, misunderstandings, sickness and financial crisis. Ashleigh doesn’t camouflage the pain in her own marriage, and offers practical ideas on how to walk through the difficulties and find intimacy on the journey. If you are anything like me, I predict that as you read, you too will find yourself laughing, wiping tears, and saying 'Oh, yes.'"

-- Gary Chapman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages

Disclosure

We are a member of the Amazon affiliate program and regularly use affiliate links. If you purchase an item from an Amazon link we provide, we will receive a small referral commission. This doesn’t cost you anything additional. We only share books, music, and products that our writers personally have used and highly recommend.

Trending

Ungrind

My Joy, Your Sorrow

by Patrice Gopo time to read: 3 min